A sample text widget
Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. Ut convallis
euismod dolor nec pretium. Nunc ut tristique massa.
Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan.
Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Nulla nulla lorem,
suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna.
|
I pulled out the PVC and foam roller for a full session today. It occurred to me that if I write down the timing of each section, as well as the exercises used for warm up and mobility, I could do this while watching a TV show, as Tony Horton suggests.
I think I am getting the hang of this! The mobility exercises are still a little challenging, in particular the Squat Press and Single Leg Touchdown. I was a lot more comfortable using the foam roller in various positions, and I noticed the improvement in mobility afterwards, which I am pretty sure is just as much because of the effort required to use the roller (warmed up muscles).
Another new (to me) workout tomorrow: X2 Shoulders and Arms (and Ab Ripper)!
I started today’s workout tired and running late. There was too much going on before the workout, and I was in the middle of a couple of tasks. I felt scattered and rushed.
Here are some exercise notes:
- I think I did better on the Think Drills today (faster feet, or so it seemed)
- 10 Plyo push ups after the Super Skater Kicks
- 8 Frog Burpee Hops
- 10 Plyo push ups after the 1-Leg Squats
- The Flying Fighter Kick was excellent form (for me, at least)
- I kept up with all the moves of the Set/Sprint/Plank/Plyo/Jump
Of course, I did those push ups because I “earned” them with some accidental toe taps, but it’s fun to see my progress with the plyo pushups. In my P90X days, I usually did them on my knees because I didn’t have the arm strength otherwise.
Overall, I did better than I expected today, and had a great calorie burn for the amount of time that I did have to do the workout itself. I skipped the neuro-integrated stretch routine and substituted the shorter P90X stretches.
Cast note: I love the little thumbs up Tony does when he sheepishly does the modified moves, to remind us it’s OK to slow down when necessary. Related to that, he speaks in a dopey voice, like “Yeah, sure, I can’t do that!” He does make the point that it’s OK to do a modified version of the exercise, just as I said about the plyo push ups.
Note: If you found this because you are looking for more info about P90X2 cast member Kelly, I do mention her at the bottom of this blog entry. Please stick around and read about my progress with P90X2. Your comments and my experiences can help us to BRING IT AGAIN! Thanks!
This was a new workout for me, after four weeks in Phase 1, plus one or two practice weeks. Normally I like to ease my way into a workout by previewing it (maybe even sitting on the couch to really watch), and then one or two practice sessions before it really counts. This time I decided to hit Phase 2 full speed ahead, without a preview. As it turns out, I might have been rushing a little bit, due to a busy morning and not enough time, but I don’t regret my decision.
Every P90X2 workout starts with a list of “Tools” (required or recommended), such as a stability ball, mat, towel, water, etc. I was shocked by the length of the list for this workout: 11 items! It makes sense, when you put it all together.
There are only two rounds. The first is 10 exercises, including new pull ups which require core muscles, and push ups using the stability ball or medicine balls (or both, in the case of the “Impossible/Possible”). The second round is 11 exercises, with similar but different moves (different push ups and pull ups). The duration of the workout is 59 minutes, but this is variable because of the foam roller sequence (upper body only this time), and how long it takes to get back and forth to the pull up (in my case, pull down) area.
The tip of the day: Modify to Finish. I have had that philosophy since day 1 of P90X, when Tony Horton told us “Don’t say ‘I can’t.’ Say, ‘I presently struggle with…'” The tag line of my blog is no joke. I started out as that geeky-looking guy, and I’ve worked hard for every little bit of muscle I have gained.
Exercise notes:
- I am a little confused about the so-called Pull Up X. Is that a wide arm pull up with the legs spread?
- The Core Crunch Pull Up, when performed on the floor with resistance bands, becomes a yoga Boat with an abdominal crunch. Still a difficult move!
- They’ve added some more new camera angles here, to show the pull ups from a ceiling (top down) view, and from the side.
- I did not have medicine balls to do the 4 Ball Push Up, so I did a regular push up with one leg raised (not on my knuckles, though). Pretty fancy for me.
- For now, I don’t think there is much variety in the pull ups for those of us using resistance bands. We can’t raise our legs into an L shape, or do the Vaulter Pull Up, for example. Maybe I can add my own variety, or pay more attention to the resistance band examples.
- One of the exercise variations is a Diamond push up with legs up on a chair. That reminds me of P90X for sure, with some added difficulty.
- Several of the exercise introductions are a minute long or more. Maybe the rest time is nice to have, but once I am familiar with the workout I might be able to save some time here.
- One of the final exercises is called a Chattarocker. That’s a yoga Chaturanga push up, rocking back the legs and dropping the arms into a Sphinx position. See, my nemesis the Sphinx is back! I wasn’t quite ready for that one.
I stopped early because I ran out of time, but I had the opportunity to try all the new exercises, and I got a good workout despite the learning curve. As was typical for me with P90X, “Out of time” meant “No time for Ab Ripper.” Guess what? I came back to the basement at 10:30 PM for a little more quality time with Tony and the kids, to get that Ab Ripper DONE! I hope to continue that as needed, but maybe not so late in the evening.
A few cast-related notes:
- Tony is wearing a shirt which says “Trumbull, CT 1976.” I have been in Trumbull quite a few times in my travels through New England, and it’s always nice to see a familiar place.
- The female contingent of the workout “kids”, whose name is Kelly, is actually introduced by Tony as a “fitness and bikini model.” At least he was being honest. She certainly looks the part, and she was keeping up just fine as the person using the resistance band assist for the pull ups. I have found her website if you want to know more about her. Check out her contact details at the bottom of each page, such as her YouTube channel, where she talks about proper nutrition, interviews some experts, and demonstrates workouts.
Here is a video of Kelly talking about the foam roller, which seems appropriate for (inspired by?) P90X2:
I did not do the Recovery and Mobility session today. Sundays are sometimes busy for our family, so the recovery often comes in the form of some food treats and relaxation. Today in particular, my parents visited from their home far away. The funny thing is that they are vegetarians now, and pretty health-conscious, but when we get together, it’s time for Chinese food, and on longer stays, maybe some pizza too. So a good time was had by all.
It has actually taken me a while to catch up on this blog entry, because I wanted to take the time to recap Phase 1. I was anxious to start P90X2 as soon as it arrived, and that meant I did my practice sessions in mid-December, and my “start date” was December 26. I did not make the time to take pictures of myself, take careful measurements, or figure out how to use my body fat calipers again, since I put them away a while back. All that aside, here is what I can tell you, based on my worksheets and blog entries:
- I have lost 4 lbs since New Year’s Day, when most of my overeating ended
- I have averaged about 2200 calories per day, which is my goal
- I have lost about half an inch in my belly (now approaching 32″ again, which is my goal)
- My balance has improved from week to week on the same exercises
- I have completed most of my scheduled Ab Ripper and Yoga sessions
Looking through those worksheets Tony Horton mentions so often, I notice that my repetitions are increasing from week to week, for the most part, and the weight I use for some exercises has increased. For example, in week 1, where I could barely do 3 or 4 burpees during a Total Body workout, now I can do 6 or 7 with good form. Throughout Phase 1, I have wondered if I was learning better form at the expense of a tougher workout, but I am finally getting to the point where it is tough and I know what I’m doing. That doesn’t mean I am doing it as well as Tony and the kids yet, but I feel good about how it’s going so far.
Today I was all ready to go for it. No pauses, no skips, just a clean run through the workout. Unfortunately, life intervened, as it often does on Saturdays, and instead started late and I was interrupted several times. This is why Tony Horton reminds us to in P90X “get your mind right” and “clear your mind of all the junk.” I haven’t heard too many of those reminders yet in P90X2, but I’m sure it’s implied, or he figures we should know that by now.
Since this workout was a little scattered, and sort of rushed at the end, I don’t have too many notes about it. I do feel as if I have improved on my stability in the Warrior 3 pose (one leg off the ground and extended back, head forward, chest down). I’ve been at this for several weeks now, so that’s good.
Here’s one piece of good news to report: I ran out of time for Ab Ripper, but I actually came back to do it later in the day. I don’t know if that ever happened during my P90X days. I felt it, too, which means I was giving it my best.
Cast note: I wonder if Drea Weber stopped speaking with funny accents on purpose this time around? Maybe she’s just more grown up now. It’s nice to hear her normal speaking voice in this workout.
|
|
